According to Abba: The Official Photo Book, published to mark 40 years since they won Eurovision with Waterloo, the band’s style was influenced in part by laws that allowed the cost of outfits to be deducted against tax – so long as the costumes were so outrageous they could not possibly be worn on the street.
We have the same tax law in America. Can’t deduct clothing that you could wear for non work.
My aspie ass laughs at the squares in the tax office and their droll perspective on casual wear!
You’ll never believe this one crazy Swedish law that most modern tax codes also have!
I can’t wear a suit if I’m not working. Sounds like claim time.
I also can’t use suit while working. Ok I’ll come clean, I don’t have any suits.
LOL wut?! Quote me chapter and verse please, actual law, case law or tax code.
Y’all really believe anything anyone says as long as it conforms to your preexisting beliefs, don’t ya? Dunno, sounds like a rather conservative mindset to me.
Wouldn’t it be cheaper just to wear normal clothes when you perform?
Or were they so broke that they wore their costumes as normal clothes “on the street”?
This isn’t making a lot of sense to me either way.
I’m guessing they didn’t pay for the costumes themselves. They just got to write off the cost because they were wearing them. But I don’t know how it works for sure.
Band member 1 makes a costume for band member 2. Material cost: $12. Band member 1 sells it to band member 2 for $15,000.
Band member 2 makes costume for band member 3…
Write off not just the materials cost, but the purchase price.
The costume making income is below the taxable income so it’s not taxed.
Band income goes into a trust, rather than being paid directly to members. Members are all board members on the trust and get paid a salary.
And so it goes, round the washing machine of accounting.
If someone else bought the costumes, then they certainly can’t write them off.
I think I figured it out!
They were going to have to wear costumes regardless, but they would be able to not pay taxes on them if the costumes were crazy enough.
I appreciate the amount of thought you’ve put into this, while I just make cynical comments.
It made me start thinking about it and then it bothered me enough to try to figure it out.
As we often hear over in Lemmy Shitpost, “I know this is a shitpost, but…”
Take those write-offs where you can, I get it
